Arizona State outscores Cal 17-6 in OT; wins 89-78

Copyright 2010 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

BERKELEY, CA - It took a game-tying 3-pointer from Jermaine Marshall and another unpredictable performance from Jahii Carson to keep Arizona State rolling.

Then again, the two road roommates have been coming up big for the surging Sun Devils most of the season. Now they're right in the thick of things in the Pac-12.

Carson scored 11 points in overtime and Arizona State got another big game out of Marshall to help the Sun Devils beat California 89-78 on Wednesday.

Carson finished with 29 points and seven assists for Arizona State (16-5, 5-3 Pac-12), which won its third straight despite blowing a 16-point lead in the second half.

After Marshall's 3-pointer forced overtime, the Sun Devils recovered and outscored the Golden Bears 17-6 in the extra period. Arizona State made 12 of 16 free throws down the stretch.

"We were supposed to switch everything and (Marshall) knocked down a good shot," said Cal's Justin Cobbs.

Marshall, a graduate transfer who spent the past three seasons at Penn State, had 22 points and six rebounds, while Shaquielle McKissic scored 12.

"Letting them come back on their home floor in the second half is almost unacceptable on our part," Marshall said. "But I think we showed guts, we showed heart in OT and we came out with a win."

Carson scored 11 points in the first half then went quiet in the second before leading Arizona State's charge in overtime. He opened the extra period with his only 3-pointer of the game, then made eight straight free throws to help the Sun Devils pull away.

That helped secure Arizona State's second straight win over Cal following five consecutive losses. It also kept coach Herb Sendek's team unbeaten since a 23-point loss to No. 1 Arizona on Jan. 16.

"Our guys kept their poise and composure and played the last 5 minutes very well," Sendek said. "I wish it counted as two but it just counts as one. Winning on the road ... is difficult in this league."

Cobbs had 21 points for Cal (14-7, 5-3) and Tyrone Wallace added 20.

"Emotionally we have a hard time when things go wrong," Cal coach Mike Montgomery said. "We just have a hard time adjusting, reacting to that. The truth is, we're just not shooting very well."

Arizona State's ninth win in 12 games didn't come easily.

Cal rallied from 16 points down in the second half and took a 70-69 lead on Cobbs' driving layup around 7-foot-2 center Jordan Bachynski with 44.8 seconds left. David Kravish added a pair of free throws before Marshall's third 3-pointer of the game with 17.7 seconds remaining tied it.

Cobbs had a chance to win it in regulation but missed a 19-footer at the buzzer.

"We knew we had to have huge guard play tonight," said Carson, who went 8 of 17 from the floor. "We came out and produced."

Despite playing most of the first half without Bachynski -- the nation's leading shot-blocker -- the Sun Devils also got a big lift from their defense. Sendek's team tipped away several passes and didn't allow a shot attempt closer than seven feet until a layup by Cobbs with 13:19 left in the half.

Marshall scored five straight points before McKissic added four, including a thunderous one-handed dunk after stealing the ball from Cobbs to extend Arizona State's lead to 42-30 at halftime.

The Sun Devils kept up the defensive pressure in the second half and led by as much as 16 until the Bears made a run and closed within 57-52 on Richard Solomon's dunk with 9:58 remaining.

Bachynski helped get Arizona State back on track. He scored on a short layup then blocked a shot that led to a 3-pointer from Marshall to make it 64-54.

Cobbs took over from there, scoring six of Cal's next 10 points on layups. His drive past Bachynski cut the Sun Devils' lead to 65-64 with 3:18 remaining and set up the tight finish.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.